


Ballad of the Damned

by CrystalNavy



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Betrayal, Gen, Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 05:52:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18910873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalNavy/pseuds/CrystalNavy
Summary: In Gondolin, there are many things beneath the surface. One of them is a secret group of powerful individuals who meet semi-regularly. No one can know of this, because if someone found out, most of them would be pegged as traitors, when there is something far more dangerous lurking in the shadows, and words can be weapons of the deadly variety.





	1. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuor, the Lord of the House of the Wing, is charismatic and straightfoward.  
> Idril, Tuor's wife, tries to be the voice of reason.  
> And they, along with their supporters, are playing a political game against one person who can outwit them all.

They were all seated around the table. Turgon was at the head, with Maeglin and Idril seated next to him, as was customary. Tuor and Earendil sat next to Idril, and Meleth was seated next to Earendil. The other Lords of Gondolin filled the rest of the table according to their leisure. 

"To the Lords of the Thirteen Houses of Gondolin!" Turgon proclaimed "May they prosper along with this city!"

Everyone present raised their goblets. Everyone except Maeglin and Tuor.

"There are only twelve houses." Maeglin quipped casually "At least from where I stand."

"As your kinsman, I agree with him, my King." Tuor nodded, putting an emphasis on his words "There are only twelve houses, as it should be."

Tuor's voice was sharp, and his words cut like a barbed wire. 

"What do you mean by that, Tuor?" Maeglin responded in kind 

"Nothing of consequence in the long run." Tuor smiled belligerently, though the smile didn't reach his eyes "I am feeling sick. May I be excused, my King?"

And truthfully, he was. Images of a helpless child being thrown into a furnace played inside of his head over and over again.

"You may take your leave." Turgon said

"I'll go with him." Idril volunteered "Meleth, Earendil, come. We're retiring."

"There are only twelve houses, as it should be." Tuor repeated his words from earlier "I'll help make it so. We'll help make it so."

"Be careful, Tuor." Idril placed a hand on his shoulder "We can't make our intentions known in the public. Our success lies in secrecy."

"I know." Tuor wrapped his arms around his wife "I love you."

"And I you." Idril responded in kind

-x-

The tournament was once in a year affair. It was a chance for the Lords to show their prowess in combat, and also a preparation for what is to come.

There were many wins, and many losses as well.

Tuor was to compete in the final round, though everyone was suprised to learn the identity of his opponent.

Idril stood next to Tuor as he equipped himself.

"Don't be too forward." Idril advised "Remember what we agreed to."

"This is training for what is to come. To save the city, and prevent the disaster that'll befall it." Tuor whispered "You know as well as I do what it means, what must be done."

"Please." Idril gave him a pleading look

"All right." Tuor nodded "But only for you."

-x-

Tuor and Idril stood at the balcony, overlooking the plaza. Ecthelion, Glorfindel, Maeglin and several other Lords sat on the stone steps, listening to Salgant, who played a song on his harp.

"Why did you stop me before?" Tuor frowned "I could have ended everything, right there and then. I could have saved Gondolin."

"And what would my father have said if he saw you attempt to kill him? Father would have stopped you and charged you with treason and attempted murder, identities of our group members would have been discovered. Besides, our goal is to strip him of his power, not to kill him." Idril admonished Tuor quietly

They were interrupted by Rog, who came into the room, followed by several other members, personally handpicked by Tuor after hearing Idril's council on the matter. Tuor looked down at the plaza and smiled at the absence of both Ecthelion and Glorfindel. The two lords stepped into the room with apologetic smiles and took their seats. Meleth was the last to join, closing the door behind her.

The secret meeting had begun.

Tuor strode to the front of the room, facing everyone else gathered.

"My friends." he began "We all know why we're here: we're going against the one who'll destroy everything we hold dear, and against all of those loyal to him as well. We must stand strong until the end, and we can't let him gain the upper hand, or find out who we are. With that, I officially declare this meeting started."

The next few hours were spent discussing strategies and maneuvers needed to accomplish the group's main goal, and the counter-measures they could use against their enemy, and those that their enemy could use against them.

Then, when night fell, the meeting was adjourned, and the people present stepped out, taking their usual positions.

-x-

"Your house is growing." Maeglin remarked idly "I find it interesting that you're gathering the stonemasons and architects as members of your house. You have any particular project in mind?"

"We are building a new wing of the palace." Tuor smiled thinly 

"I could have helped." Maeglin commented

"It wouldn't befit someone of your station to work on something this menial." Tuor insisted "And correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't you be preparing for tonight's banquet?"

"You should be preparing as well." Maeglin countered "And yet, here you are."

"Oh, I am a bit of a procrastinator." Tuor admitted "I'll get right to it."

As he walked away, every one of his instincts screamed at him to turn around and run the person behind him right through the heart, despite his promises to the contrary. Behind both of them lay Caragdur, the symbol of poetic justice. It would be so easy. He wrapped his fist around the wrench he was using for tunnel construction. Soon, he would use it for something else, he could tell, promises be damned.


	2. Weakness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a weakness. Four members of the secret group hatch a plan to exploit this.

"Are we really satisfied with this?" Rog abruptly asked "Are we really not gonna do anything while he is given free reign of the city? Especially in light of Idril's visions."

"Idril said not to kill him." Tuor said

"Yea, we can't kill him, at least not yet." Rog said "But we can do something. We can show him how weak he truly is."

"How do we do that?" Tuor seemed interested 

"He claims to be good at chess." Rog said with a strange gleam in his eyes "You'll play against him, Tuor, and you'll let him win. That'll boost his confidence, and then we'll take every single bit of it away from him in one fell swoop."

"That's sounds too sadistic, even for you, Rog." Tuor whispered in awe "I say we do it."

"And we'll help." Glorfindel said, and Ecthelion nodded

-x-

Maeglin leaned back in his chair. He was satisfied at yet another won match. He was about to retire for the night, when Tuor sat down in the unoccupied chair.

"Do you mind if I were to be your last opponent for tonight?" Tuor asked 

"It would be no trouble." Maeglin accepted the challenge, and began to rearrange the pieces into their starting positions "This game is quite popular in Gondolin, and it took me awhile to master it."

Soon, people gathered around to watch. The two players used vastly different style. While Maeglin was a cunning strategists, who liked to play a long game, Tuor used more force in his strategy.

"Do you know that these sorts of games give away a lot about someone's personality?" Maeglin had asked idly.

Tuor refrained from saying what was really on his mind, as his mind drifted back to Idril's vision of a child being thrown into a furnace.

Maeglin made one last move, ending the game.

"Would you do me the honor of taking a walk with me?" Tuor asked, rising up.

Rog, Ecthelion and Glorfindel stepped forward, out of the crowd. The second stage of the plan was underway.

"Would you mind if we tag along?" Glorfindel asked innocently

"Your company would be appreciated." Tuor gave them a genuine smile

"I am honored to be in your company as well." Maeglin said

"Then, there is a place I want to show you, all of you." Glorfindel locked eyes with Tuor, who nodded

-x-

The highest tower had quite an astounding view, and this time, Glorfindel, Ecthelion, Rog, Tuor and Maeglin were treated to it.

Glorfindel regaled them with one tale after another, and the hours stretched. Tuor kept a close eye on king's nephew, and was pleased to notice his growing discomfort.

The King's tower, as well as the majority of the city, was build upon the black precipice of Caragdur. Tuor knew this, as did everyone else in Gondolin.

And the primal part of Tuor enjoyed this. Enjoyed seeing Maeglin like this. Gone was the air of superiority he usually held in public. 

One look at the other three told Tuor that they were enjoying this as well. It was Rog's idea, after all.

"Are you cold, Maeglin?" Rog asked, feigning concern "You are shivering."

"It's nothing." Maeglin responded, trying to appear stoic, like usual, and failing "I think I'd better leave."

He turned around, about to do just that, but the other four shifted positions so that they surrounded him.

"Not yet." Rog said "We would like you to stay here with us a little longer. How many years has it been, Glorfindel?"

"About ten years." Glorfindel said casually 

"What are you......?" Maeglin paused as the truth hit him

"You see, I've always been displeased about something. We earned our right to lead our houses. Even Tuor had to prove himself in order to lead his own house." Rog began to pace back and forth, with the air of someone starting a lecture "But not you. You became a Lord merely because you were related to Turgon, not because of your own merits. So we decided that we should expose you to your own weaknesses, and break that self-satisfied demeanor of yours. And this was the best way to do it."

"I went along with it because I enjoy seeing you like this, especially after what I heard." Tuor whispered "When I first came, I genuinely wanted to know you, and I admired your skill. But that had changed once I had learned what sort of person you truly are."

"You hate this place." Rog observed "It reminds you of the time when you first arrived here, how you were lost and alone, how you became an orphan. Which is why we brought you here, so you can relive those memories."

Tuor sat back down again, and Glorfindel pulled some refreshments out of the bean bag. 

Maeglin remained as still as a statue, staring at the black precipice down below.

Tuor almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love tormenting the characters I like.


End file.
